Shoppa's technicians recognised
Fort Worth, TX, United States
An unprecedented number of Shoppa's Material Handling technicians recently passed
the Toyota Material Handling Platinum Master Technician Certification, including one Shoppa's technician who was selected out of nearly 120 applicants to compete for Toyota's prestigious technician title.
"Our customers demand technicians who can keep their forklifts and other equipment well-maintained and operating efficiently," says Jim Shoppa, owner of Shoppa's Material Handling. "With these most recent certified technicians, customers can be confident the very best in the industry are working on their equipment. I am proud of the level of excellence these Shoppa's technicians have demonstrated."
Toyota's training and development requires technicians to take classroom courses and accrue up to five years' hands-on experience to earn certified, bronze, silver, gold and platinum rankings.
Overall, 36 out of 119 applicants tested nationwide achieved the platinum certification - five of them from Shoppa's.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald congratulates Louise Meredith on being named as Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year.

JCB apprentice wins
Rocester, United Kingdom
JCB design engineer Louise Meredith, 21, recently scooped the title of Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year at the finals of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) Awards in London, just weeks after winning the regional final.
Quality engineer Tom Lomas, 21, from Cheadle was also highly commended at the same ceremony in the National Advanced Apprentice of the Year category just weeks after he was named Regional Advanced Apprentice of the Year. He works for JCB Earthmovers in Cheadle.
Meredith, a design engineer in the Loadall division at JCB World Headquarters in Rocester, is passionate about apprenticeships and says undertaking a degree or higher apprenticeship has been a fantastic way to start her career, "so to win this national award is just amazing. I still can't believe I've been recognised in this way."

ALAN rallies to the aid of disaster victims

ALAN seeks donations
Lakeland, FL, United States
The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is calling for help to continue providing logistics relief in the coming year. As a 501(c)(3) organisation dedicated to providing aid to disaster survivors and their communities, ALAN depends on industry generosity to make its work happen, says executive director Kathy Fulton.
"ALAN saves lives and reduces suffering for disaster survivors in the United States by engaging industry to supplement non-profit organisations' logistics capabilities. We serve by coordinating logistics, providing education, and building cross-sector relationships before, during, and after disasters. ALAN's dedication to improving the post-disaster environment is made possible with your financial support," she explains, adding that the current goal is
to raise USD250,000.
Donors can contribute online by clicking here.